How to Get Free Breakfast at Hotels

When you’re on the road, breakfast at your hotel offers a nice convenience. Here are some ways you can get breakfast for free at major hotel chains.

1. Choose a hotel with free breakfast for all

Breakfast at the Hampton Inn in Panama City, Panama

Many hotels offer a complimentary breakfast buffet for all hotel guests. Throughout the Americas and Europe, these free buffets usually include eggs, bacon or sausage, cereal, bread and pastries, and fresh fruit (usually melon, apples, and oranges). They may also include potatoes and either porridge or oatmeal.

Complimentary hotel buffets in Latin countries usually include fried corn, and hotel buffets in and around the UK include baked beans. Sometimes hotels don’t have a buffet, so they might provide vouchers that can be used for breakfast at a nearby or attached restaurant. Because some of these hotels are franchised, the owner could choose to not offer breakfast. If you’re relying on it, confirm the free breakfast benefit with the specific hotel before you book.

Following are hotel brands that provide a daily free breakfast for all guests:

Best Western – Best Western

Best Western – Best Western Plus

Best Western – Best Western Premier

Choice – Comfort Inn

Choice – Comfort Suites

Choice – Econo Lodge

Choice – MainStay Suites

Choice – Quality Inn

Choice – Sleep Inn

Drury – Drury Inn

Drury – Drury Suites

Hilton – Canopy

Hilton – Embassy Suites (includes omelette station!)

Hilton – Hampton Inn

Hilton – Home2 Suites

Hilton – Homewood Suites

Hyatt – Hyatt House

Hyatt – Hyatt Place

Hyatt – Zilara and Ziva

IHG – Even

IHG – Holiday Inn Express

IHG – Staybridge Suites

La Quinta Inn & Suites

Marriott – Fairfield Inn & Suites

Marriott – Residence Inn

Marriott – SpringHill Suites

Marriott – TownePlace Suites

Radisson – Country Inn and Suites

Starwood* – Element

Wyndham – Baymont Inn & Suites

Wyndham – Days Inn

Wyndham – Hawthorn Suites

Wyndham – Howard Johnson

Wyndham – Knights Inn

Wyndham – Microtel

Wyndham – Super 8

Wyndham – Travelodge

Wyndham – Wingate

*Note: Starwood Hotels is now owned by Marriott, but their hotels and loyalty program remain separate until 2019.

2. Be a loyal taveller

Breakfast at the Marriott in Burbank, California

If you frequently stay in the same hotel chain, you can earn benefits likes complimentary nights, upgrades, and breakfast. For example, if you spend 40 nights at Hilton properties within a year, you will have “Gold” Hilton Honors loyalty status for the remainder of that year, plus the following year. While you have Gold (or Diamond) status, you get free breakfast whenever you’re a guest at one of the Hilton hotel brands listed below.

At Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, and Starwood, the free breakfast benefit is for two people. Radisson Rewards elite status only provides free breakfast for one person.

The buffet and/or made-to-order breakfast usually has higher quality food than at the buffets that are free for everyone. There are also more options, such as pancakes, salad, yogurt, and berries, and you can often request cook-to-order items, such as omelettes and eggs Benedict.

Following are hotel brands that include a free breakfast for elite loyalty program members:

Hilton – Doubletree

Hilton – Garden Inn (always includes made-to-order options)

Hilton – Hilton

Hilton – Waldorf (just added the elite breakfast benefit in 2018!)

Hilton – Curio

Hyatt** – Andaz

Hyatt** – Grand Hyatt

Hyatt** – Hyatt

Hyatt** – Park Hyatt

Hyatt** – Hyatt Regency

Marriott – Autograph Collection

Marriott – Delta

Marriott – JW Marriott

Marriott – Marriott

Marriott – Renaissance

Radisson – Park Inn

Radisson – Park Plaza

Radisson – Radisson

Radisson – Radisson Blu

Starwood – Aloft

Starwood – Four Points

Starwood – Le Meridien

Starwood – Sheraton

Starwood – St. Regis

Starwood – The Luxury Collection

Starwood – Tribute Portfolio

Starwood – Westin

Starwood – W Hotels

** The breakfast benefit from the World of Hyatt (and sometimes from the other hotel chains) is provided via access to the club lounge, which serves breakfast. If there is no lounge, the hotel usually offer free breakfast in their restaurant instead.

3. Get a hotel credit card

The major hotel chains offer a credit card with benefits. If the fee is worth it (See Libby’s Travel Credit Card Tips), you get the elite loyalty benefits, including free breakfast.

For example, the Hilton Aspire card has a $450 annual fee, and upon approval, you get Hilton Diamond elite status. That means your breakfast is complimentary when you stay at Doubletree, Garden Inn, Hilton, and Waldorf hotels.

4. Book via a travel credit card service

Major credit card companies offer credit cards and travel services that often include a complimentary breakfast. Again, these cards have annual fees, so their other benefits would need to be worth it.

Apply for an American Express Platinum credit card, then book your stay with it via the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts program

Apply for a Visa Signature credit card, such as the Alaska Airlines card, then book your stay with it via the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection

Apply for a World (or World Elite) Mastercard credit card, then book your stay with it via Mastercard Travel Services

5. Book with a government or corporate rate

Government and corporate employees can book a hotel using a special code. It usually offers reduced rates and can include free breakfast for at least one person. Just a bit of pleading with the front desk will usually turn 1 free breakfast into 2.

6. Choose a hotel with a club lounge

Executive lounge breakfast at the Hilton in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Some hotels, such as IHG’s Crowne Plaza and InterContinental, have a club lounge (a.k.a. Executive lounge) with free breakfast. The food options in lounges vary, but usually there are a couple of hot breakfast items, along with fruit, bread and pastries.

If you have elite loyalty status, you are almost guaranteed (“upon availability”) to be upgraded to an executive room, which includes club lounge access. Alternatively, you could pay to upgrade to a room with lounge access. Of course, paying for a room upgrade to get a “free” breakfast would defeat the purpose.

7. Be vocal if there is an issue

If something isn’t right with your stay, let the front desk manager on duty know. Breakfast is an easy thing for them to make complimentary while they attempt to address the issue.

I hope you found this information helpful. Do you questions or comments about getting free breakfast at hotels? I’d love to hear from you in the Comments section below.